Washing-machine.



No. 784,541. PATENTBD MAR. 14, 1905. D. B. D. & W. F. BLAKE.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES.

A TTOR/VE S No. 784,541. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905. D. B. D. & W; P. BLAKE.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

QWAM

INVENTORS Jenna's iifl' BZQke 7727225171 FBZcue ATTORNE NITED STATES Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

DENNIS B. D. BLAKE AND \VILLIAM F. BLAKE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,541, dated. March 14, 1905.

Application filed June 2, 1904. Serial No. 210,799.

1'0 all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that we, DENNIS B. D. BLAKE and \VILLIAM F. BLAKE, citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved \Vashing-h Iaehi'ne, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to washing-machines, and more particularly to that type of washing-machine in which the tub is sustained for oscillatory movement upon a suitable supporting structure.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and durable machine of the type specified in which improved devices are provided for automatically returning the tub to its normal position after each movement thereof.

\Vith the above object stated and other minor objects in View, as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts of a washing-machine hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in a preferred form of embodiment in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that changes in the minor structural details may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Figure l is a perspective view of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a view of the machine in side elevation, a part of the supporting structure being broken away to show the devices for adjusting the tension of the springs employed to return the tub to its normal position. Fig. 3 is a view of the machine in transverse section showing the tub in normal position. Fig. I is a view of the machine in transverse section, showing the tub tilted or swung upon its supporting-pivots. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the bearing-brackets in which the tub-supporting pivots turn, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the fastening devices used to hold the tub stationary.

Referring to the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views, 1 1 denote the end standards of the supporting structure of the machine, and 2 designates a bar extending longitudinally between the standards 1 1 and rigidly secured to the standards at its ends. The standards I 1 are both provided at their lower ends with lateral projections 3, the ends of which are turned downward to form feet, and the standards are provided at their upper ends with brackets at, preferably of the form illustrated in Fig. 5. The brackets 4 are secured upon the inner faces of the standards 1 1, and each of the brackets is provided with a notch 5 to receive one of the pivots upon which the tub of the machine is mounted.

The tub or drum of the machine consists, preferably, of a pair of end boards or plates 6 6 of the peculiar contour illustrated and of a combined bottom and side member 7, made, preferably, of sheet metal and secured to the end plates 6 in the manner shown, the sides being extended upward and then bent over inwardly to form pockets 8 at the sides of the tub. The tub is mounted upon a pair of hangers 9 9, one hanger being secured at each end of the tub and having projecting outwardly therefrom a stud 10, which engages the notch in the adjacent bracket t. At the lower end each .of the hangers 9 is extended under the end of the tub and then downward to form an eye 11 for the reception of the upper end of a spring 12, the lower end of which engages an eye 13 in the end of one of a pair of bent levers 14 14:, arranged in a slot 15 in the bar 2, which connects the two end standards of the machine-frame. Each of the levers I L is attached at one end to one of the springs 12 and at the other end is provided with a transverse pin 16, which rests in notches formed in a pair of parallel arms 17 projecting from a nut 18, secured upon the lower end of an adjusting-screw 19, which is provided at its upper end with a suitable head 20 and extends downward through the boss in a plate 21, mounted upon the bar 2. At the end attached to the spring each of the levers 14: is bent upward, and at the end provided with the transverse pin 16 each of the levers is bent obliquely downward, and the bend where the downwardly-tinned end of each lever joins the inrubbing-boards 23 are arranged longitudinally of the tub, upon the bottom thereof, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. At the margin of the overturned sides of the tub, longitudinally-disposed bars or strips 24 are provided to stiffen the free margin of the sides and prevent bending thereof.

When the washing-machine is in use, a suitable quantity of water is placed in the tub, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, and the garments to be washed are placed therein, together with any washing com pound it is desired to employ. The quantity of water introduced will depend, of course, upon the amount of washing to be done, and the tension of the springs 12 should be adjusted to correspond to the weight of the contents of the tub when ready for operation. When the weight of the contents of the tub is small, the springs 12 and the levers 14, by which the tension of the springs is adjusted, will be as indicated in the drawings; but if the weight of the contents of the tub is large the adjusting-screw 19 will be turned to draw the nut 18 upward, and so depress the outer ends of the levers 14, with the consequent increase of the tension of both of the springs 12 12. As both of the levers 14 engage at their inner ends upon the nut 18, the upward movement of the nut upon the adjusting-screw 19 produces a similar change in position in each ofthe levers 14, and so maintains the tension of each of the springs 12 at the same degree. \Nhen the tub has been supplied with water and the garments to be washed and the springs have been adjusted in tension to correspond to the weight of the contents of the tub, an oscillatory movement is imparted to the tub by pressing alternately upon the two handles 22. The water and the contents contained in the tub will then be tossed to and fro in the tub from one side to the other, and any outward splashing of the water in the tub will be prevented by the pronounced overhang of the sides, the water and the garments contained in the tub being thrown first into one of the pockets 8 and then into the other. The toand-fro movement of the garments in the tub is somewhat impeded by the ribs or rubbingboards 23, and in consequence of this interference with the movement of the garments or other articles the water is caused to pass to and fro through them and toeffect a thorough cleansing of all the garments in a very short time and with very little wear upon the garments. When the operation of washing has been completed and it is desired to wring out the washed garments, it is desirable to hold 6 the tub in fixed position, and to this end we provide upon the standard 1 most remote from the handles 22 of the tub a pair of pivoted arms 25, having a block 26 secured transversely thereof at their upper ends. The block 26 is adapted to rest upon the upper edge of the adjacent end plate 6 of the tub when the arms 25 are in vertical position, and in order to hold the block 26 in contact with the end of the tub a latch 27 is provided on the inner face of the block and adapted to engage with a small rod 28 or other suitable device upon the inner surface of the end plate. In order to hold the arms 25 and the block 26 out of the way when the washing-machine is in operation and also to prevent the arms 25 from swinging too far outward, a small wire stay 29, of substantially U shape, is mounted upon the upper end of the standard 1 between the arms 25 and has its ends extended through slots 30, formed in the arms 25. When the machine is in operation, the arms 25 and the block 26 are swung outward to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and are held in that position by the stay 29, leaving the tub free to oscillate upon its supporting-pivot.

hen it is desired to wring out the washed garments, however, the arms-25 are swung into the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 and the block 26 is held firmly upon the upper edge of the end board of the tub, thus affording a solid support for the wringer, which may be mounted upon the block 26.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a washing-machine, the combination with a supporting structure, of a tub pi-vot ally mounted thereon, a pair of springs attached to the tub, an adjusting-screw, a nut on said screw, and a pair of levers fulcrumed on said supporting structure and each having-one end attached to one of said springs, and the other end engaging said nut.

2. In a washing-machine, a pair of standards spaced apart, and a slotted bar connecting the standards, a tub pivotally mounted upon said standards, a pair of springs attached to said tub at the ends thereof, a pair of levers arranged in the slot of said bar and having their outer ends attached to said springs, means carried by said bar for preventing the bodily upward movement of said levers, and means for raising the inner ends of said levers simultaneously. 1

3. Inawashing-machine,asupportingstructure including an upright member, a tub pivotally mounted on said upright member, a'pair of arms pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said upright member, a block carried by said arms and adapted to rest upon the edge of the tub, means carried by the block for securing it in contact with the edge of the tub,

and a pivoted stay for limiting the outward pivotal movement of said arms from said upright member.

4. In a washing-machine in combination, a pair of oppositely-disposed standards, a tub pivotally mounted therebetween, a bar connecting said standards below said tub, levers mounted upon said bar and extending longitudinally from substantially the middle point thereof, springs connecting said levers respectively with said tub, an adjusting-screw and a nut carried thereby engaging said levers.

. 5. In a washing-machine in combination, a pair of oppositely-disposed standards, a tub pivotally mounted therebetween, a bar connecting said standards below said tub and carrying aplate, an adjusting-screw mounted in said plate, a nut mounted upon said adj ustingscrew,lcvers engaging said nut resting against said plate and extending longitudinally of 20 Vitnesses:

W WV. BLAKE, ANNETTE nsr. 

